Looking to upgrade from Emotiva XPA-1 monoblocks

Buy this incredible McCormack DNA 500 and save yourself $$$.  If it doesn’t work out you can probably sell it for little/no loss so very little risk and no doubt will be a huge improvement over your Emotivas on every level — read the reviews.  Best of luck. 

https://www.spatialaudiolab.com/raven-preamplifier

When did the edginess start, after which component upgrade?  I ask because it could be that one of your components introduced it and not the amp, or one of your components, like your preamp, is revealing something in your amp or source.  My point is, changing the amp may not address the edginess.  You will need to determine the source of it before you can fix it.

It's kind of always been there. I heard these speakers at friend's house and was really impressed with them. I don't recall what he had on the front end at the time. Always buying and selling gear. That's how I ended up with them.

I will say the Wavelet is probably the biggest change since I have owned the Whispers. I live an hour away from Legacy and had them program it for the whispers specifically and it did smooth things out a bit.

I have been doing a lot of critical listening lately. Maybe it is just me!

I will check out the McCormick though. 

If it’s always been there and you like your speakers you might try some tubes somewhere in the mix of components, like a tube pre with ss amps.  I don’t know what the McCormack sounds like or if it will take the edge off.  Listening preferences change as well.  I used to like a bit of brightness but that bothers me now and I prefer neutral to warm.

Sorry, I put the wrong link for the McCormack amp above. 🙄  Here it is…

https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/650201477-mccormack-dna-500/

Hi @tkn42 ,  I had an Emotiva XPA 2 way back when and I would never call it edgy.  Dark is more what I heard.  Regardless, I would think the amplification could easily be much better.  For 6K I would look at a Coda stereo amp or Audionet Amp mono blocks.  You can always add more amps if you need them, but four in a stereo setup is likely overkill.  First find the sound you like, then decide if you need more of it.  My nirvana  started with Audionet Max amps and they blew away everything I had previously had in my home:  Emotiva XPA, Classe CA 2200 and 2300, Parasound, and Parasound Halo JC1 +.  The Audionet stuff is so fast, resolving, sparkly, full and rich, and non fatiguing.  Can't fault any tube amp recommendations, just not my cup of tea.  If you like smooth, and want SS, a Moon amp would pair well with your preamp.  But they are not as fast or resolving as Audionet, to me.

@tkn42  -  Before dropping any $ right away, if you can borrow a few different amps, just to drop into your system for a day or two and hear what other possibilities sound like.  You might find that the edginess goes away, or maybe it doesn't.  As @jastralfu mentioned, it might be something else in the system you need to address. Either way, you will have a better idea of which direction you need to go.  (And you haven't spent any money to find out.) 

... just a nickels worth of advice...

- Jeff

Coda amps mate well with Legacy Speakers. You can check that out at Axpona by stopping by the Legacy room. James from Destination Hifi will most likely be there nd you can ask him about it, or Bill of course.

All the new legacy use class d in thier amps.if your going to the show ask Bill at legacy.he built it he would know.maybe he has a 30 day trial on stuff.enjoy the search.

There's nowhere to go but up from Emotiva.  Consider taking a look at PS Audio.  Their M700 monoblocks would be a nice step up from what you have.  The M1200 are better, but a little above your budget.  You should be able to find some pre-owned ones for less or you can take advantage of their trade-in program.

Here are a couple of options regionally close to you: Audio by Van Alstine and Odyssey.  

https://positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/audio-by-van-alstine-m750-amplifiers/

You can get Klaus Bunge's Stratos Extreme for less the 4K  they will melt your face with silky musical resplendence:

https://odysseyaudio.com/stratos-mono-amplifiers/

Thanks for all the input, everyone!

@jeffbij - My buddy is bringing me a couple of LSA Warp1s to try for the weekend.

@mark200mph - The Legacy iV 2 is on the list for sure. I have heard them at their show room multiple times, although through their upper range speakers. Very smooth amp.

I think a better explanation of what I am hearing/not hearing is a lack of detail and separation in the 800hz _ 3k range. There is a lot going on in there!  It gets fatiguing after a while. 

All part of the fun!

@tkn42 -  The LSA Warp 1's look interesting.  I would suggest that you also try and audition a couple of class A or A/B amps that are higher up in the pecking order than the XPA's as well.  Also, keep in mind that class D amps can sound a little dry or "edgy" (from Stereophile's Warp 1 review description). 

(And before all the class D lovers jump on my case, there is nothing wrong with class D.  I'm enjoying a PS Audio class D amp on my bedroom system. )

Keep us appraised on how the LSA Warp 1's work out.  Maybe do a Member Review posting?

- Jeff

Have you tried playing with speaker orientation/toe in? Stereophile review of these speakers suggested that the high frequency response is quite sensitive to toe in...perhaps that can tame the edginess. 

@audio_guy_uofw - Yes, they are very directional. 

@jeffbij - I am curious how they will sound with the whispers. I have heard them with his Dynaudio Evoke 50s and they sounded really good.

I let you know how they sound!